Manchester United All-Time Team for English Players

Sir Matt Busby with Roger Byrne and Duncan Edwards

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Manchester United All-Time Team
Manchester United Greatest All-Time Team under Sir Alex
Manchester United Greatest All-Time Team under Sir Busby
Manchester United All-Time team for British isles (excluding England)

Manchester United All-Time Team for Foreign Players.
Manchester United Academy All-Time Team

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for Manchester United's English players.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

Even before the arrival Sir Alex Ferguson in 1986, Manchester United was the most popular club in England, despite not being the most successful side.  The Busby Babe created a lot of excitement for English football and then, the Munich air disaster turned the Red Devils into a team that everyone with a heart to follow.  By the late 1960's, the Trinity of Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best represented three parts of the United Kingdom.  They appealed to the fans from Scotland, Northern Ireland and England.  In 1968, Manchester United became the first English side to win the European Cup.  After the formation of the Premiership, they became the most successful club in English domestic football overtaking Liverpool for winning the most number of league titles.

Steve Bruce and Bryan Robson

Team
GK: Alex Stepney 
Alex Stepney played with Millwall between 1963 and 1966 before joining Chelsea.  He only played one game in London and was sold to Manchester United in 1966 to replace Harry Greg who was injured during the Munich Disaster.  Stepney helped the Red Devils to win the 1968 European Cup. He played with them until 1978 when he left for the NASL.  His international career was limited to a single cap, but he traveled to the 1970 World Cup Finals as a backup.

Alex Stepney

GK: Jimmy Rimmer 
Jimmy Rimmer is considered to be the greatest Aston Villa goalkeeper. He won two European Cup medals: 1968 with Manchester United and 1982 with Aston Villa.  He was Alex Stepney's understudy in the 1968 Final.  In 1982, he only played 9 minutes before getting an injury. He played 3 seasons with Arsenal, where he was their player of the year in 1975. He was capped once in 1976.

GK: Gary Bailey
Gary Bailey started his career with Wits University in Johannesburg. He paid his own fare to Manchester for a trial with Manchester United.
He established himself as United goalkeeper in the late 1970s. He won FA Cup medals in 1983 and 1985.  He later played with Kaizer Chiefs, before retiring in 1990. For England, he was only capped twice due to playing at the same time as Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence. 

RB: Gary Neville
Along with his brother Philip, David Beckham, Paul Scoles, Ryan Giggs, and Nicky Butt, Gary Neville captained the Manchester United academy team that won the FA Youth Cup in 1991.  They all became fixtures for the senior team throughout the 1990's.  Gary Neville remained the team until 2011 and was the second, longest serving player.  For England, he was the most capped rightback in history.  He had a totyal of 85 caps.

RB: Mike Duxbury
Mike Duxbury began his career as a right back with Everton, but he signed for Manchester United as a schoolboy in 1975. He made his Manchester United debut in 1980. In 1990, he left United for Blackburn Rovers. He later played for Bradford City and for Golden FC in Hong Kong before retiring in 1994. Duxbury was capped 10 times by England, making his debut in November 1983 and earning his last cap in October 1984.

CB: Rio Ferdinand 
Rio Ferdinand became the youngest defender to play for the Three Lions at the time in 1997.   He played 81 times for England  between 1997 and 2011, and was a member of three World Cup squads.  At one point, he was the most expensive British footballer and also broke the world's record transfer fees for a defender twice. He played over 300 games for Manchester United.  He won the Champions' League with Manchester United in 2008. He also played for Leeds United, West Ham and QPR.

Rio Ferdinand 

CB: Steve Bruce

Steve Bruce played for Gillingham and Norwich before joining Manchester United in 1987, where he would play until 1996.  Under Sir Alex Ferguson, he won three Premier League titles, three FA Cups, one Football League Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup.  He also became the first English player of the 20th century to captain a team to the Double. Despite his success with his club, he was never selected to play for England. 

CB: Gary Pallister
Gary Pallister played for Middlesbrough before he moved to Manchester United in 1989.  His transfer broke the national record for a fee paid for a defender, as well as being the highest fee between British clubs. By the time of his departure from Old Trafford after nine years, he was the only player to have collected winner's medals in all of the club's successes under Alex Ferguson's management.  He was capped 22 times.

CB: Bill Foulkes 
Bill Foulkes was a one club man.  He played for Manchester United in the Busby Babes teams of the 1950s, and also in the 1960s. For Manchester United, he played 688 games which places him at number 4 on the all-time list of appearances. He scored a total of 9 goals in his 18 seasons at United and helped the club win four First Division titles, one FA Cup and one European Cup. He was capped three times for England in 1954–55. He was a part of the 1968 European Cup winning team. He was capped once by England.

Bill Foulkes 

LB:  Roger Byrne 
Roger Byrne was the captain of the Busby Babes from the 1955–56 season onwards.  With Manchester United, he won the league title in 1952, 1956 and 1957. Between 1954 and 1957, he earned 33 caps with England while playing in every England's fixtures in that period, a record for England.  Unfortunately, he died at the age of 28 in the Munich Air Disaster.   Even more than 60 years after his death, he is still regarded as one of Manchester United's greatest captains. 

LB: John Aston Sr
John Aston Sr's made his debut for Manchester United in 1946. He was a one club player.  He played in the 1948 FA Cup Final triumph over Blackpool at Wembley Stadium. He left the club in 1954 after scoring 30 goals in 284 appearances.He won 17 England caps between 1948 and 1950, all at left-back, and featured in the 1950 FIFA World Cup. His son John Aston Jr also played for Manchester United.

DM: Nobby Stiles 
Stiles played for England for five years, winning 28 caps and scoring 1 goal. He played every minute of England's victorious 1966 FIFA World Cup campaign.  Stiles played the majority of his club career for Manchester United, spending eleven years at Old Trafford.  He won the European Cup in 1968. After retirement, he was famously known for the youth coach for Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholas, Gary Neville, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt.

CM: Michael Carrick 
Michael Carrick started his career with West Ham where he played for 5 seasons.  He then went to Tottenham Hotspurs for 2 more seasons before moving to Manchester United in 2006. He played there until 2018.  At Old Trafford, he won every major trophy for club football, including the Champions' League Title in 2008.  He was only one of two Englishmen to have done that. At the international level, he played 34 times for England between 2001 and 2015. He went to the World Cup Finals in 2006 and 2010.

Michael Carrick

CM: Bryan Robson 
Bryan Robson was at one point the most expensive British player when he joined Manchester United from West Bromwich Albion in 1981.  He is considered to be one of England's best ever box-to-box midfielders.  He earned 90 caps for England. He went to three World Cup Finals, but he only played a major role in 1982.  He was injured in both World Cup Finals in 1986 and 1990.  He spent 13 years with Manchester United, winning the Cup Winners' Cup for the season 1990–91.

CM: Duncan Edwards 
Duncan Edwards was one of the Busby Babes of Manchester United.  He made his professional debut at the age of 16. He was the youngest player to play in the Football League First Division. He died in 1958 during the Munich Air Disaster at the age of 21.  Many people considered him to be  England's greatest player.  He was a dominating central midfielder of his time. For the English national team, he was capped 18 times between 1955 and 1957, scoring 5 goals.

Duncan Edwards 

AM/CM: Paul Scholas 
Paul Scholas was a member of Manchester United's Class of 1992.  He spent 20 years with Manchester United's first team.  He won 11 Premier League, three FA Cup and two UEFA Champions League winners medals.  He earned 66 caps for England before he retired from the Three Lions in 2004. His cap total was limited because of playing the same generation with Frank Lampard and Steve Gerrard. He went to two World Cup Finals and as many Euros.

AM: Sir Bobby Charlton 
Sir Bobby was considered one of the greatest midfielders of all-time.  He was capped 106 times by England and led England to World Cup victory in 1966.  He is also England's all-time leading scorer and all-time cap leader at the time of his retirement.  He was selected for four World Cups (1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970). For club career,  he almost played his entire career with Manchester United.  He was the hero of Manchester United's the first ever European Cup trophy in 1968. He won the Ballon D'Or in 1966.

Sir Bobby

RW: Steve Coppell

Steve Coppell played for Tranmere Rovers while he studied for a degree in economic history at the University of Liverpool.  In 1975, he joined Manchester United.  He helped the club to win promotion that year.  From 1977 to 1983, he earned 42 caps for England.  He represented England in the Euro 1980.  He also played in the 1982 World Cup Finals, despite suffering from an injury. He retired in 1983 at the age of 28 as a Manchester United player.

RW: David Beckham 
Beckham is the greatest ever icon to play the game. He started his career with Manchester United where he was a part of the famous team that won the 1992 FA Youth Cup. For the senior side, he won 6 Premiership titles and the 1999 Champions' League.  In 2003, he joined Real Madrid for the well-publicized "Galacticos" signing.  In 2007, he moved to LA Galaxy, where he kickstarted a soccer fever in the United States.  For England, he earned 115 caps and was a key part of the national team throughout his career.

David Beckham

LW: George Wall
Wall started his career with Boldon Royal Rovers and played for Whitburn and Jarrow before joining Barnsley in 1903. In 1906, he transferred to Manchester United and helped them win the 1908 and 1911 league titles, as well as the 1909 FA Cup. He left the club in 1915 because of World War I and joined Oldham Athletic after the war in 1919. He later played for Hamilton Academical, Rochdale Ashton National and Manchester Ship Canal. Wall also won seven caps for England, scoring two goals

RW/LW: Lee Sharpe
Sharpe joined Manchester United from Torquay United as a youngster in 1988.  He played a key part in United's success in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1990–91.  However, injuries and the emerge of Ryan Giggs limited his career with Manchester United. He later played left back and right wing for them.  He left Manchester United in 1996 and never found stardom.  Sharpe was capped eight times by England between 1991 and 1993.

FW: Wayne Rooney
In 2002, Rooney made his debut as a 16 years old with Everton.  Less than a year later, he became England's youngest international when he played against Australia.  He made his big tournament debut at Euro 2004.  He scored 4 goals and named as a member of the tournament's best XI.  At the time of writing, he is England's key player for every major tournament since Euro 2004.  As for Manchester United, he has won 5 Preimer League titles.  In 2008, he formed a partnership with Cristano Ronaldo and won the Champions' League.

Wayne Rooney

ST: Dennis Viollet
Dennis Viollet came through the junior ranks at Manchester United and turned professional in 1950. His first game for the club came against arch-rivals Newcastle United on 11 April 1953. He was a striker, along with Tommy Taylor for the Busby Babes of the 1950s. He was a survivor of the Munich air disaster. He played twice for England, debuting in 1960 against Hungary.

ST: Tommy Taylor 
Tommy Taylor was one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster.  He was 8 days past his 26th birthday. He started with Barnley and moved to Manchester United in 1953.  For England, he was seen as the  perfect eventual replacement for the ageing Nat Lofthouse in the England side. In all, he played 19 times for England, scoring 16 goals. He managed two hat-tricks for the England team.

ST: Jack Rowley 
Jack Rowley mainly remembered for a 17-year spell with Manchester United. He was nicknamed "The Gunner" because of his prolific goalscoring and explosive shooting, scoring 211 goals in 424 appearances for United between 1937 and 1954.  He is one of only four players in the history of Manchester United to score over 200 goals for the club.  He was also capped six times for England scoring six goals, four of which came against Northern Ireland  in 1949.

Jack Rowley

Honorable Mention

Reg Allen, Jack Crompton, Ray Wood, Wes Brown, Charlie Roberts, Allenby Chilton, Reg Allen, Jack Crompton, Ray Wood, Charlie Moore, Viv Anderson, Allenby Chilton, David Sadler, Phil Neville, Mark Jones, Nicky Butt, Paul Ince, Frank Barson, David Pegg, Albert Scanlon, Eddie Colman, Joe Spence, Johnny Berry, Charlie Mitten, Stan Pearson, Stuart Pearson, Stan Pearson, Brian Kidd, Teddy Sheringham , Andy Cole.

Squad Explanation

-- I redid this team in May, 2024.  No chance was actually made.

-- Ten English players made my all-time Manchester United team.  They are Alex Stepney, David Beckham, Gary Neville, Bill Foulkes, Rio Ferdinard, Sir Bobby Charlton, Roger Byrne, Duncan Edwards, Bryan Robson and Paul Scholas.  So they are automatioc selections.

-- Manchester United won their first European Cup in 1968. Bobby Charlton, Alex Stepney, Bill Foulkes, Nobby Stiles and the backgoalkeeper Jack Rimmer made this all-time team.

-- From their 1999 Champions' League winning team, I have Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and David Beckham.  They defined Manchester United's successes in the Preimership's era.  Gary Pallister left in 1998.

-- I selected the following players from the 2008 Champions' League winning team: Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Paul Scholas were selected.

-- The "Fergie's Fledglings" on this team included David Beckham, Gary Neville and Paul Scholas.  All three came from the "Class of 1992". Lee Sharpe was not from the academy.  When he was 17 years old, he moved to Manchester United from Torquay United.  This team featured more "Busby Babes".  The "Busby Babes" refers to the young and talented group of players who were part of the Manchester United football team in the 1950s, managed by Sir Matt Busby.  Tragically, on February 6, 1958, the team's plane, known as the Munich Air Disaster, crashed during takeoff in Munich, Germany, while returning from a European Cup match. The crash resulted in the deaths of 23 people, including eight Manchester United players and several club staff members.  The team featured Roger Byrne, Bill Foulkes, Duncan Edwards, Bobby Charlton, Tommy Taylor and Denis Viollet.  Nobby Stiles joined the club in 1957 as an apprentice so he was already in Manchester when the tragedy occured.  

David Beckahm, Gary Neville and Paul Scholas

Goalkeepers

-- Alex Stepney established himself as the most prolific goalkeeper in Manchester United's history, amassing an impressive 539 appearances between the goalposts.  In the European Cup Final, he saved a last momeent shot from Eusebio.  such was the brilliance of the save that Eusebio himself stood and applauded the Englishman's heroics.

-- Jim Rimmer spent 11 seasons with Manchester United, but he was mainly Stepney's backup. He only played 34 times for Manchester United, but he was always ranked very high among goalkeepers here.

-- The third keeper was difficult to choose. Gary Bailey, Reg Allen, Jack Crompton and Ray Wood all played with each other. In the end, I chose Gary Bailey because he is the longest serving starter among the four keepers. Alf Steward and Harry Moger were also considered.

Defenders

-- Rio Ferdinand was at one point the most expensive defender when he joined Manchester United.  He had lived up to his price tag.  Nemanja Vidic played 9 seasons with Manchester United.  The Rio-Nemanja partnership was the greatest ever for this club.  Bill Foulkes survived the devastating Munich air disaster and went on to play a vital role in the club's rich history.  He is inseparable from Manchester United's tale of both triumph and tragedy.  The two were undisputed.

-- The last two centerbacks were also easy to choose. Together, Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister played a pivotal role in Manchester United's triumphs, including winning the inaugural Premier League title in the 1992-1993 season, as well as three consecutive league titles from 1992 to 1994. Their partnership at the heart of the defense was highly regarded and contributed significantly to the success of the club during that era.  Wes Brown, Mark Jones, Charlie Roberts and Allenby Chilton also made honorable mention. Brown was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2000–01 season.  He also spent 15 seasons with Manchester United.

-- Gary Neville is widely regarded as one of the greatest fullbacks in the history of Manchester United. His remarkable career at the club was defined by his loyalty, longevity, and contributions on the field. Viv Anderson spent a year with Manchester United academy, but he was released.  He would become an icon with Nottingham Forest, where he won back-to-back European Cup.  In 1987, he rejoined the club, but his career over here was limited.  Paul Parker's initial five-year tenure at Old Trafford started on a positive note, but unfortunately, injuries plagued him regularly as the club. Instead, I took Mike Duxbury who played here between 1976 and 1990.  He played mainly as a central defender, but he was a better rightback.  Both Anderson and Parker were more famous player, but Duxbury had a better career here.

Gary Neville

-- Roger Byrne, the captain of the legendary Busby Babes team, has been recognized by some sources as Manchester United's greatest defender.    He captained the side through the legendary Busby Babes era, playing as a left-sided full-back of the traditional style. He edged out Jack Silcock because Silcok played mainly in the 2nd division.  

-- Phil Neville's remarkable versatility allowed him to enable him to occupy various positions throughout his career. However, it was at left-back where he found himself most frequently deployed. That position, however, was dominated by Denis Irvin.  Interestingly, Irvin, a natural right-back, switched to the left-back position to accommodate Gary Neville's presence on the right side. Although Phil Neville enjoyed an 11-season tenure in Manchester United's first team, his career appeared brief in comparison to his brother's remarkable longevity with the club.

-- Charlie Moore was an old-timer fullback whom I did not know much. He played here between 1919 and 1930.  

Midfielders/Wingers

-- Duncan Edwards has been overlooked in several lists of the greatest Manchester United players as his career was tragically cut short, denying him the opportunity to fulfill his tremendous promise on the football field. However, the opinion of Sir Bobby Charlton holds significant weight, as he considers Edwards to be the greatest English player ever. In a blog dedicated to Manchester United, it is important to respect Sir Bobby's perspective, especially considering the emotional aspect involved in selecting Edwards. Bryan Robson did not have a decorated career over here, but he was voted into the PFA Team of the Century (1977-1996) in 2007.

-- Nobby Stiles was a member of Busby Babes.  He was named in the PFA Team of the Century (1907–1976) in 2007. 

-- Michael Carrick played over 300 games in 12 seasons with Manchester United. In his career, he was often overshadowed by other star players in the squad, but he was an unsung hero to the club.  By comparison, Paul Ince's exceptional performances earned him a place in the prestigious PFA Team of the Year in three consecutive seasons: 1992–93, 1993–94, and 1994–95, during his time in the Premier League. Furthermore, he was also recognized for his contributions to the game by being included in the Domestic Team of the Decade at the Premier League 10 Seasons Awards, covering the period from 1992–93 to 2001–02.  However, Ince's decision to join Liverpool FC diminished his significance to his former club.  On the other hand, Carrick happened to be known as a loyal member of the club during his time here.

-- Frank Barson who played here in the 1920's was known for his hard style of play.  Nicky Butt was another well-known player from the Class of 1992.

-- Bobby Charlton was an automatic choice for the team, requiring no further explanation for his inclusion. Paul Scholes, in my opinion, was frequently underrated by many. During his tenure, he often lived in the shadows of Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, and Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United. Similarly, with the England national team, he faced the overshadowing presence of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. However, the truth remains that Scholes was undeniably one of England's finest playmakers.  

-- The right midfield/wing position has many options. Both David Beckham and Steve Coppell are known as Manchester United's all-time greats. David Beckham received many unfair criticism of him for being an pop icon rather than a footballer.  Yes, he was probably overrated by the mainstream media.  In truth, he was very underrated by football fans. He was by far a better footballer than most football fans considered him to be.  He deserved a place in this team.  Steve Coppell whose injuries kept him from greatness, but he remained a legend in Manchester. Eddie Colman, Joe Spence and Johnny Berry also deserved serious considerations.

Steve Coppell 

-- On the left side, the options are much more limited.  I have the following English players: David Pegg, Lee Sharpe, George Wall, Albert Scanlon and Charlie Mitten. While it is a great list, I do not have a "David Beckham" on the left.  In the end, I took Wall because he served the longest with the club. Pegg's career was cut short by the air disaster in Munich. He was displaced by Scanlon right before the place crash.  Scanlon delivered his finest performance for Manchester United just five days prior to the tragic Air Disaster, in a match against Arsenal.  He provided three assists during the game. However, he started once again on the left wing in United's European Cup quarter-final second leg against Red Star Belgrade. Unfortunately, he sustained serious injuries in the Air Disaster, he was never able to regain the same level of performance he had shown before.  Teaming up with Jimmy Delaney, Stan Pearson, Jack Rowley, and Johnny Morris, Chris Mitten formed a formidable attacking line that earned the moniker of the 'Famous Five' at Old Trafford during the post-war period.

-- Lee Sharpe took the 25th spot. He was extraordinary in his peak, but his peak was very short. In the end, I took him because the team lacked left wingers.  Joe Spence who is listed among the legends on official website of Manchester United and Andy Cole were also seriously considered for the last spot.

Forwards

-- Wayne Rooney is the most underrated striker in England's history.  His hype as a youngster while playing for Everton might create a false expectation. At times, he carried both Manchester United and the national team, but the media has not always been kind to him.  They did not appreciate his contribution.  At the same time, he made some critical mistakes while playing for England.  I am referring to the red card vs Portugal in 2006 and his reaction to the fans in 2010.  That led to a lot of unfair criticisms.  He is still the all-time leading scorer for England and Manchester United. 

-- In 191 games for Manchester United, Tommy Taylor scored an impressive 131 goals. He averaged a remarkable 0.686 goals per match.  Among the 22 Manchester United players who have scored 100 goals or more in all competitions, his ratio ranked number one.  He was only the 15th Manchester United's all-time leading scorer because he died at the age of 26 in the Munich Disaster. His strike partner Dennis Viollet was also a must-in player.  In the 1959/60 season, Dennis Viollet set an unbeaten record for Manchester United by scoring 32 goals in 36 games. This remarkable achievement is even more impressive considering it came after the tragic Munich Air Disaster of 1958, when Sir Matt Busby was rebuilding the team. Jack Rowley is one of only four players in the history of Manchester United to score over 200 goals for the club.  Neither Teddy Sheringham  nor Andy Cole were close to the three English forwards.

Dennis Viollet 

-- During their tenure at Manchester United, Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole harbored a mutual dislike for one another. The seeds of feud were sown in 1995 when Cole perceived that Sheringham had deliberately snubbed him during his England debut. Many people considered them as successful partners on the field at Old Trafford.  However, despite sharing the field on 99 occasions, they only combined for a total of 10 goals contributed as a pair.  Sheringham played 4 seasons, but the 1998/1999 season was very poor.  The arrival of Dwight Yorke that season brought about an instant and intuitive partnership with Andy Cole, leaving Sheringham sidelined.  However, that season, he attained legendary status at the club when he scored a dramatic equalizer in stoppage time during the Champions League final against Bayern Munich.  Meanwhile, during Cole's eight seasons at Manchester United, Andy Cole managed to surpass the 20-goal mark in just three of those seasons. Surprisingly, he scored fewer than 15 goals in five seasons, with two of those seasons yielding single-digit goal tallies.

Formation
I tried to put the best eleven players on the field.  Rooney on the left is very weird, I admitted.  Starting George Wall or Lee Sharpe might be a more realistic formation.

Arsenal All-Time Team for British Isles (excluding England)

O’Leary, Stapleton,Jennings, Nelson, Devine, Rice and Brady

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
Arsenal All-Time Team
Arsenal All-Time Team Under Arsene Wenger

Arsenal All-Time Team for English Players

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for Arsenal's  players from the  British Isles, excluding the English players.  I did a Arsenal All-Time Team for English Players. The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.  

Arsenal was the first club from the South of England to join The Football League, in 1893. They entered the First Division in 1904, and have since accumulated the second most points. Relegated only once, in 1913, they continue the longest streak in the top division. In the 1930s, Arsenal won five League Championships and two FA Cups, and another FA Cup and two Championships after the war. In 1970–71, they won their first League and FA Cup Double. Between 1989 and 2005, they won five League titles and five FA Cups, including two more Doubles. They completed the 20th century with the highest average league position.

 Bob Wilson and Frank McLintock 

Team
GK: Pat Jennings (N.Ireland)
Pat Jennings is considered among the greatest goalkeeper of all-time.  The prime of his career was spent with both Tottenham Hotspurs and Arsenal.  In 1973 the Football Writers' Association named him as its footballer of the year. Three years later he won PFA's version of the award – he was the first goalkeeper to receive this accolade, and to this date remains only one of two, along with Peter Shilton. He earned 119 caps for Northern Ireland and went to two WC Finals. 

Pat Jennings

GK: Bob Wilson (Scotland)
As a player, Bob Wilson played as an amateur for Wolverhampton Wolves before he was signed by Arsenal in 1963.  He is most noted for his career at Arsenal between 1963 and 1974. He made over 300 appearances for Arsenal.  Born in England to Scottish parents, he was capped by Scotland twice in 1971.

GK:  Jack Kelsey (Wales)
Kelsey had 41 caps for Wales.  He was Wales' keeper at the World Cup Finals in 1958, their only finals appearance to date. They were eventually knocked out 1–0 by winners Brazil in the quarter-finals..  He spent his entire career with Arsenal.  He played over 300 games for Arsenal from 1949 to 1963.  He became their starter in the 1953-1954 season. However, he went trophyless during his time there.

RB: Pat Rice (N.Ireland)
Pat Rice played for Arsenal between 1967 and 1980.  He was known for being a member of the team that won the League/FA Cuo Double in 1970-1971 season.  He was one of the few Arsenal players who had played for five FA Cup Finals, winning the cup twice. He was capped 49 times for Northern Ireland. 

RB/LB: Walley Barnes (Wales)
Barnes initially played as an inside-forward for Southampton in wartime games between 1941 and 1943.  From 1943 to 1956, he played for Arsenal, reaching the Final of two FA Cups, winning the one in 1950.  Barnes played 20 times for Wakes.  He made his debut in 1947 in which he guarded Sir Stanley Matthews in that game.

CB: David O'Leary (Ireland)

David O'Leary made a record of 722 appearance for Arsenal.  For Arsenal, he won the English League, FA Cup and the League Cup, two of each.  He also played briefly with Leeds United at the end of his career. With 68 caps, he represented Ireland at the World Cup Finals in 1990, scoring the winning penalty against Romania in the penalty shootout.

David O'Leary

HB/CB: Dave Bowen (Wales)
Bowen only played 12 times for Northampton before catching the eye of Arsenal. He joined them in 1950.  He was Arsenal captain in his final two seasons. In all he played 162 matches for the club, scoring twice.  For Wales,  Bowen went on to win 19 caps for Wales, and was the team's captain for their 1958 World Cup campaign.  Along with goalkeeper Jack Kelsey, Bowen was the first Arsenal player to play in a World Cup.

CB: Terry Neill (N.Ireland) 
Neill played as a youth for Bangor before making Arsenal's debut against Sheffield Wednesday in 1960. He became the youngest Arsenal captain in the club's history at 20 years of age. From 1970 to 1973, he played for Hull City. In total, he played 275 times for Arsenal, scoring ten goals. From 1963 to 1973, he was capped by Northern Ireland for 59 times.

CB: Willie Young (Scotland)
Nicknamed "Big Willie" Young first played for Aberdeen,between 1970 and 1975. He was signed by Tottenham Hotspur in 1975, but he joined Arsenal in 1977.  He later played for Norwich City, Brighton and Hove and Darlington.  Young never played a full international for Scotland having been banned for life after an incident concerning a light bulb in a Copenhagen nightclub in 1975

LB: Sammy Nelson (N.Ireland)
Nelson turned professional with Arsenal on his 17th birthday in 1966.  He played in all three of their successive FA Cup finals, winning it in 1979.  Nelson made his debut for Northern Ireland as a substitute against England on 21 April 1970. He went on to win 51 international caps, two of which came in Northern Ireland's matches at the 1982 World Cup.

LB: Bob John (Wales) 
Born in Barry, John played for Barry Town and Caerphilly, before joining English club Arsenal in 1922 for a fee of £750. He won the 1930 FA Cup, followed by three First Division titles, in 1930–31, 1932–33 and 1933–34.  He also scored Arsenal's only goal of the 1932 FA Cup Final. For Wales, he played 15 times between 1923 and 1936.

DM/CB: Frank McLintock  (Scotland)
McLintock  earned a professional contract with English First Division club Leicester City in 1956. He played in two League Cup final defeats before he was sold to Arsenal in 1964.  Appointed as captain he led the club to their first European trophy, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1970. The following season, 1970–71, he captained Arsenal to the Double, as they won the league and the FA Cup. He earned only 9 caps, largely because of playing at the same time with  Dave Mackay, John Greig, Bobby Murdoch and Billy Bremner.

Frank McLintock 

DM: John Dick (Scotland)
Dick first played for Airdrieonians, but in 1898 he was signed by London side Woolwich Arsenal as one of manager William Elcoat's many Scottish signings.  He was an ever-present as Arsenal won promotion from the Second Division to the First Division in 1903-04. In all, he played 262 games for Arsenal in the League and FA Cup, and 30 in other first-class matches.

LH/DM: Alex Forbes (Scotland) 
Forbes signed for Sheffield United in 1944 . After Forbes suffered an injury, he lost his place in the Sheffield United.  Arsenal signed Forbes in 1948.  He played for Leyton Orient, Fulham and non-league club Gravesend and Northfleet before retiring as a player. Forbes played 14 times for Scotland between 1947 and 1952. He also represented Scotland at ice hockey.

LH/LM: Roddy McEachrane (Scotland) 
At age 20, McEachrane started to work at the Thames Iron Works, and joined the works football team, Thames Ironworks F.C.  In May 1902, McEachrane joined Second Division side Woolwich Arsenal. His arrival coincided with the south London club's first period of success, as they finished third in the 1902-03 season, and then second in 1903-04, which won them promotion to the First Division.  

LM: Billy Blyth (Scotland)
Blyth played as a schoolboy for Wemyss Athletic. He was with Manchester City briefly before signing for Arsenal in 1914.  He became a mainstay in the side 10 seasons between the war, and became club captain in 1925. He moved to Birmingham in 1929.  He also starred in one of the first football-related films, the 1930 production The Great Game.

CM: Aaron Ramsey (Wales)
Aaron Ramsey made his senior debut for Wales at the age of 17.  He was made captain at the age of 20, the youngest ever. He was a part of Wales' team that made to the semifinal of the European Championship in 2016, where he was included in the Team of the Tournament. He also represented Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics.  At the club level, Ramsey started his career with Cardiff in 2006, but made his name with Arsenal when he joined in 2008.

Aaron Ramsey

AM: Alex James (Scotland)
Alex James was one of the greatest player ever for Arsenal.  He is most noted as the play making lynch pin with Arsenal with whom he won six senior trophies in the first seven seasons of the 1930s. he also played for Preston Northend. For Scotland, he was known with his partnership with Hughie Gallacher. He was a member of "Wembley Wizards" that England 5-1 in 1928. However, he was only capped 8 times. 

Alex James

RW: Gavin Crawford (Scotland)
Crawford started playing for Glasgow side Fairfield Rangers in 1887. In 1890, he joined Sheffield United of the Midland Counties League. Then, Crawford moved to London to join Woolwich Arsenal, becoming the first professional player for the side. He at once became a regular as the club joined the Football League in 1893. All in all, he played 211 times for Woolwich Arsenal in pre-league, league and cup games, scoring 18 goals altogether.[3]

LW/AM: Liam Brady (Ireland)
Liam Brady played over 200 times for Arsenal in the 1980's.  He was the PWA Player of the Year in 1979.  He was one of the few successful Irish players playing outside the UK.  In 1980, he moved to Juventus, where he won two Series A titles in two seasons.  He went on to play for Inter Milan and Ascoli before joining West Ham in 1987. He made 72 caps for Republic of Ireland, but he never went to a major tournament.

Liam Brady

FW: George Graham (Scotland)
For his club career, Graham played for Aston Villa, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Portsmouth and Crystal Palace. He was part of the side that won the Football League Championship and FA Cup "double" in 1971. That year, he earned his first cap for Scotland.  In total, he had 12 caps.

FW: David Herd (Scotland)
David Herd played for Arsenal, Manchester United, Stockport County, and Stoke City.  He was the 15th leading scorer with Arsenal, where he played from 1954 to 1962.  With Manchester United, he won the European Cup in 1968, but he did not play in the Final against Benfica.  He was capped 5 times for Scotland. His first cap was in 1958 against Wales.

FW: Jimmy Logie (Scotland)
Logie first played for Scottish junior side Lochore Welfare, before being signed by Arsenal in 1939. He served in the Royal Navy during the War.  He took part in all of Arsenal's early post-war successes; Arsenal won two First Division titles in 1947-48 and 1952-53, and the 1949-50 FA Cup – Logie set up both goals in a 2-0 win over Liverpool in the final.  He only ever won a single a cap for Scotland, playing against Northern Ireland on 5 November 1952. 

ST: Frank Stapleton (Ireland)
Frank Stapleton was Ireland's all-time leading scorer for a decade.  He had 71 caps. He captained Ireland at the European Championship in 1988.  It was Ireland's first major tournament. At the club level, he is best remembered for his time at Arsenal and Manchester United, where he won a single FA Cup for both clubs. He also played in Holland, Belgium and France after he left Manchester United.

Frank Stapleton 

ST: Charlie Nicholas (Scotland)
Nicholas began his career at Celtic.  He scored 48 goals in the 1982 to 1983 season while winning both Scottish PFA Player of the Year and Scottish Football Writers' Player of the Year awards.  From 1983 to 1988, he played with Arsenal.  He later played with Aberdeen before rejoining Celtic in 1990. From 1983 to 1989, he played 20 times for Scotland.  He was in Scotland's squad for the 1986 World Cup, playing in the group matches against Denmark

Charlie Nicholas

Honorable Mention
Billy McCullough (N.Ireland), Steve Morrow (N. Ireland), John Hartson (Wales), Eddie McGoldrick (Ireland), Joe Havety (Ireland), John Devine (Ireland), David Greenaway (Scotland), Angus McKinnon (Scotland), Johnny MacLeod (Scotland), Dan Lewis (Wales), Charlie Jones (Wales), Eddie Kelly (Scotland0, Caesar Jenkyns (Wales)

Squad Explanation
-- Some of the greatest Arsenal players came from the British Isles, but it is my most difficult Arsenal's blog to research.  Many players are from the early years of the club.  
-- Pat Jennings, Bob Wilson, David O'Leary, Pat Rice, Frank McLintock, Alex James and Liam Brady are also on my Arsenal All-Time Team.
-- My blog team Arsenal All-Time Team Under Arsene Wenger does not consist a single non-English player from the British Isles.  It said something about how Wenger transformed Arsenal into a club of foreign players.  Aaron Ramsey did play for him, but he did not make that team.
-- Arsenal went undefeated in the Preimership in the 2003-2004 season.  The team was known as the "Invincibles". Goalkeeper Graham Stack of Ireland was the only member of the team who was from the British Isles outside of England.  He played 5 games in the League Cup that season.
-- I honored some of the old-timers playing for the club under the name Woolwich Arsenal.  It was playing in the lower division. Gavin Crawford, Billy Blyth, Roddy McEachrane, etc played for them.
-- Caesar Jenkyns (Wales) became the club's first ever international player, after winning a cap for Wales against Scotland on 21 March 1896.  He was a defender who played with Woolwich Arsenal between 1895 and 1896.  He made honorable mention.  
-- Three members of the squad are members of my Ireland All-Time Team.  They are Liam Brady, Frank Stapleton and David O’Leary.
-- David O'Leary is the all-time appearance leader for the club.  At the time of writing Pat Rice is 7th.
-- Frank McLintock was credited for his key role in Arsenal's double triumph.  He won the FWA Footballer of the Year award in the 1970-1971 season.  He also led the club to their first European trophy, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1970. 
-- Liam Brady also won a winner of the PFA Players' Player of the Year award in the 1978-1979 season.  He was credited for his part in Arsenal's FA Cup triumph that year.  Of course, Brady's contribution to Arsenal is well-known.
-- I also created a team for Arsenal's English players only. Arsenal All-Time Team for English Players.
-- Arsenal won the 1979 FA Cup with Liam Brady, Frank Stapleton, and David O' Leary from Ireland, Pat Jennings, Sam Nelson and Pat Rice from Northern Ireland, and Willie Young from Scotland.  Pat Rice was their captain and Terry Neil as manager.
-- Willie Young was a fan favourite.
-- I always thought Charlie Nicholas was known as ""Champagne Charlie".  His career was better known for outside the playing field, but he was voted the 50 Greatest Arsenal Players by the fans on the official website.  I selected him because of that. 
-- Arsenal consisted many good left back or left half. So I did not have room for Billy McCullough or Jimmy Jackson, 
-- Gavin Crawford was one of my Arsenal's first ever professional players.  He was one of the longest-surviving members of Arsenal's first professional side, along with Bill Julian and Jack McBean. The three stalwarts were reunited at an Arsenal game against Chelsea on 20 March 1948.
-- Niall Quinn (Ireland)'s career with Arsenal was not too successful.
-- George Graham's name was often associated with being the manager of Arsenal. As a player, he was part of the side that won the Football League Championship and FA Cup "double" in 1971.
-- Dave Bowen edged out Eddie Kelly for the last spot.  Along with Jack Kelsey, Bowen was the first ever Arsenal active player to play in a WC Finals.  He was the captain of Wales' national team in 1958.


Formation